Saab is building cars again

After two years the new owner NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) has produced their first car - just as they had already announced in the autumn at the presentation of pre-production models.To begin with it they will just be making 4 cylinder petrol engine saloons. 

Saab is building cars again. After two years the new owner NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden) has produced their first car - just as was announced in the autumn at the presentation of pre-production models. To begin with it they will just be making 4 cylinder petrol engine saloons. Electric cars will follow.

NEVS have a plan to build a electric brand behind the Saab logo.  Some observers are understandably sceptical. Building a brand needs money as Tesla discovered to their cost! A brand needs a good image and Tesla has actually managed that very well. For NEVS the outlook may be somewhat different.

The Holding Company 'NEVS' is in fact just an extension of a company called Modern Energy Holding. Behind this name is an energy company, making its money primarily in China, but taxed in the British Virgin Islands. The management is based in Hong Kong.

But let’s not worry about that yet. Saab is celebrating its comeback.  In order to get production going again Saab had to enter into contracts with 400 suppliers. Only ten vehicles per week are scheduled to be produced. For 300,000 Swedish kroner - about 34,000 Euros – you can get a Saab 9-3 Aero Saloon with a four-cylinder petrol engine and automatic transmission. This is, of course, all still based on technology from General Motors. A facelift is reportedly planned for spring 2014.

Currently you can only order the Saab 9-3 over the Internet and then pick it up at the factory. In the long term, China is the big goal, says Nevs President Mattias Bergman. And the company is actually intending to specialise in the construction of electric vehicles.

GM, Spyker and NEVS

Until 2010 Saab belonged to General Motors. Initially in  2009, the Swedish company wanted Koenigsegg take over the brand, but this failed because of lack of financial backing. Instead the Chinese carmaker BAIC took over technology and production lines for the Saab 9-3 and 9-5.  In 2010 Saab went to Spyker, but they were themselves in financial difficulties. NEVS eventually took over the Saab factories in June 2012 as well as the rights to vehicles, names and platforms.

With thanks to Auto-Revue.at